PUB HLTH 7075OL - Introduction to Epidemiology

Online - Semester 1 - 2016

The aim of this course is to give students a grounding in the basic concepts of epidemiology. Students will gain knowledge about: measuring and interpreting patterns of disease occurrence; routine sources of data, their strengths and limitations; study designs used in epidemiology and when to apply them; epidemiological models of causation; and will begin to critically appraise epidemiological literature with reference to issues of study design and interpretation of results.

The aim of this course is to give students a grounding in the basic concepts of epidemiology. Students will gain knowledge about: measuring and interpreting patterns of disease occurrence; routine sources of data, their strengths and limitations; study designs used in epidemiology and when to apply them; epidemiological models of causation; and will begin to critically appraise epidemiological literature with reference to issues of study design and interpretation of results.

Course Learning Outcomes

Demonstrate an understanding of routine sources of data used in descriptive epidemiology, and appreciate their strengths and limitations accordingly;

4

Differentiate epidemiological study designs, recognise the most appropriate circumstances in which to use each design, and describe the measures of disease occurrence that can be generated using each design;

5

Recognise potential threats to correctly interpreting results from epidemiological studies, and identify those most relevant to each study design;

6

Distinguish the difference between association and causation, and appreciate relevant issues in inferring causation from observational designs;

Required Resources

The textbook for this course is: Gordis L. Epidemiology. 4th edition. PA, USA: Elsevier Saunders, 2009. The reading material will be in theform of relevant chapters from a range of books, digital copies of literature (both recently published and seminal) and links to relevant websites.

Course Handbook and Study Guides will be made available to students before Week 1 of the semester and will be available in electronic form on MyUni.

Please note: There are many introductory epidemiology texts. Reading a text other than the set text can be helpful especially if a topic seems unclear or difficult – a different explanation and different examples can be illuminating. Recommended texts for this purpose are:

Learning & Teaching Modes

Tutorials: Provide an opportunity to develop understanding of lecture material and clarify concepts.

Practicals: A forum for application of lecture material. They provide an interactive forum to apply concepts from lectures and clarify understanding.

Assignments: Opportunity for independent application and exploration of key concepts.

Exam: To assess the extent to which understanding has developed through the course and can be applied in novel scenarios.

Online discussion for each tutorial and practical will be put on MyUni. Students will be able to post questions and answers to a discussion board and provide feedback about each other’s proposed research question. Online asynchronous or synchronous discussion will be facilitated through MyUni using discussion board, webchat, Collaborate or Skype depending on the students’ preference and availability. The discussions will be schedule to align with the related assessments tasks and facilitated by course coordinator.

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

In general, 3-4 hours of independent study will be required each week, in addition to class time. This includes reading the set text, wider reading, preparing answers to tutorial questions, and making progress with assignments.

Small Group Discovery Experience

Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.

Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.

Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

Assessment Task

Assessment Type

Weighting

Learning course objective(s) being addressed

Assignment 1

Summative

20%

1, 2, 3, 6

Assignment 2

Summative

20%

4, 5, 6, 7

Examination

Summative

60%

1-8

Assessment Related Requirements

None.

Assessment Detail

There will be two assignments and an examination in this course. All assignments will be posted on MyUni at least 2 weeks prior to the date of submission. Students will be required to participate in an on-line, open book examination for a period of two hours that will be scheduled in synchrony for all students.

1) Students are expected to prepare for tutorials by attempting the tutorial questions before the scheduled session.

2) Students are expected to actively participate in tutorials and practicals.

3) Students must submit both assignments to be permitted to sit the exam.

Students are required to submit two assignments (weighting 20% for each, with a total of two written assignments, 40%). Assignment 1 will be provided to students and posted on MyUni at the start of Week 2, and Assignment 2 will be posted on MyUni at the start of Week 8. Students will be asked to use core epidemiological concepts, to correctly conduct disease measurements, and to critically assess and interpret epidemiological research findings from health literature.(1,000 words each assignment)

A two-hour exam at the end of course (weighting 60%) will assess your learning on the content of all lectures, tutorials and practicals as indicated previously.

Submission

ExtensionsAll extensions for assignments must be requested, at the latest, by the last working day before the due date of submission. Extensions will generally be granted only on medical or genuine compassionate grounds. Supporting documentation must be provided at the time a student requests an extension. Without documentation, extensions will not be granted. Late requests for extension will neither be accepted nor acknowledged.

Only the Course Co-ordinator(s) may grant extensions.

Supporting documentation will be required when requesting an extension. Examples of documents that are acceptable include: a medical certificate that specifies dates of incapacity, a police report (in the case of lost computers, car & household theft etc.), a letter from a Student Counsellor, Education and Welfare Officer (EWO) or Disability Liaison Officer that provides an assessment of compassionate circumstances, or a letter from an independent external counsellor or appropriate professional able to verify the student’s situation. The length of any extension granted will take into account the period and severity of any incapacity or impact on the student. Extensions of more than 10 days will not be granted except in exceptional circumstances.

Late submissionMarks will be deducted when assignments for which no extension has been granted are handed in late.

All assignments, including those handed in late, will be assessed on their merits. In the case of late assignments where no extension has been granted, 5 percentage points of the total marks possible per day will be deducted. If an assignment that is 2 days late is awarded 65% on its merits, the mark will then be reduced by 10% (5% per day for 2 days) to 55%. If that same assignment is 4 days late, the mark will be reduced by 20% (5% per day for 4 days) to 45%, and so on.

The School of Public Health reserves the right to refuse to accept an assignment that is more than 7 days late.

Assignments submitted after the due date may not be graded in time to be returned on the listed return dates.

Students submitting examinable written work who request (and receive) an extension that takes them beyond the examination period are advised that there is no guarantee that their grades will be processed in time to meet usual University deadlines.

ResubmissionIf a student is dissatisfied with an assessment grade they should follow the Student Grievance Resolution Process <https://www.adelaide.edu.au/student/grievance/process/>. Students who are not satisfied with a particular assessment result should raise their concerns with Course Co-ordinator(s) in the first instance. This must be done within 10 business days of the date of notification of the result. Resubmission of any assignment is subject to the agreement of the Course Co-ordinator(s) and will only be permitted for the most compelling of reasons.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)

Grade

Mark

Description

FNS

Fail No Submission

F

1-49

Fail

P

50-64

Pass

C

65-74

Credit

D

75-84

Distinction

HD

85-100

High Distinction

CN

Continuing

NFE

No Formal Examination

RP

Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

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